Curfew imposed in four districts of Kashmir

Curfew was on Wednesday clamped in four districts of Kashmir Valley to foil a march by the separatists to the United Nations office in Srinagar demanding withdrawal of troops from Jammu and Kashmir.

Besides the four districts of Srinagar, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora, curfew has also been imposed in Awantipora town in south Kashmir's Pulwama district, a police spokesman said.

The restrictions were imposed in view of the march called by moderate faction of Hurrriyat Conference to the office of the United Nations Military Observers' Group for India and Pakistan. The march is supported by the hardline faction headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

A large number of security force personnel have been deployed across the city and other sensitive areas to prevent the separatists from taking out any rally.

Curfew was strictly being imposed in old Srinagar city, the stronghold of moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Officials said several separatist leaders have been put under house arrest while over a dozen activists of Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat were taken into preventive custody last night.

Normal life remained disrupted in the Valley in view of the strike call given by both factions of Hurriyat to protest the landing of Army in Kashmir on this day in 1947, a day after then Maharaja Hari Singh signed the instrument of accession with the Union of India.

Hurriyat has asked the people to observe the day as "black day". Shops, business establishments and private offices remained closed on account of the strike.

Kashmir Valley has been in a grip of protests, strikes and curfew since June when a 17-year-old boy was killed by a tear smoke shell allegedly fired by police at Rajouri Kadal area of the city.